Game-table.



No. 683,566. Patented Oct. l, |90I. H. MEYERS.

GAME TABLE.

(Application led Feb. 1l.,v 1901.)

l (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Nq. 683,566.' Patented octfl, |901..

H. MEYERS. GAME TABLE.

(Application lled Feb. 11, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L; //////////////////nmuumlmnmmmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MEYERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,566, dated'October1, 1901.

Application led February 11, 1901. Serial No. 4'6 ,885. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom zit may concern.-

Be it known'that I, HENRY MEYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful'Improvement in Game-Tables, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to tables whereon games combining skill and chanceare played for recreation and amusement, the game em ploying balls whichare propelled by means of cues or other devices.

The object of my invention is to provide a game-table furnished atdivers points in the bed thereof with -a number of apertures throughwhich a ball may drop, said apertures being assigned various valueswhich count in scoring the game.

It is also my object to provide an indicating mechanisrn,whereby anumber representing the value of the hole through which a ball hasdropped will be brought into view in such a manner as to indicate thenumber of points scored.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table. Fig. 2is a view in vertical section, taken lengthwise of the table, showingthe operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail view, Vin vertical section,showing the shutter as 1o-l cated beneath an aperture.. Fig. 4 is adetail view, also in vertical section, illustrating the operation .ofthe indicating or registering mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view of the tablefrom beneath, showing the lcollecting-trough removed in order to revealthe indicatingand resetting mechanism. In said Fig. 5 there is shown analternate construction of the indicators. Fig. 6 is a view inlongitudinal vertical section showing the table wherein is employed thealternate form of indicators. Fig. 7 is a detail view, in longitudinalverti-A cal section, showin g the operation of the shutters. Fig. 8 is adetail view showingthe alternate form of indicators in dierentpositions. In one of the positions shown the score-number is exposed toview and in the other position thereof the score-number is hidden fromview. Fig. 9 is a detail view in plan showing the operation of the saidalter- 'nate form of indicator.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the bed of the table, which is bordered by the coping a.Near the head of the table is located a wall a', which is preferablycurvedin such a manner that the center of curvature lies midway betweenthe sides of the table and somewhere near the head thereof, .as shown inFig. l. Said wall is cushioned, so that a ball striking the same mayrebound. In order to deaden the sound and reduce the wear of the balls,the bed is covered with billiard-cloth or other fabric a2.

Arranged in a suitable manner in the bed A, desirably toward the upperor head end thereof, are the apertures b b b, which are of sucient sizeto let a ball drop through. Said apertures are designated by numbersmarked, preferably, upon the bed of the table, and to increase thehazard of the game ward-pins c c are placed adjacent to said apertures.AThe shutters d d are hinged upon the blocks e e in lsuch a manner as tooccupya position beneath said apertures in contact with the lowersurface of the bed A. The most advantageous construction of saidshutters is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 7, wherein d represents aknee or bell-crank lever hinged to said blocks at the axial points e.Tension-springs f are attached at one end to the table A. and at theVother end to thefre'e extremities of each of said levers d in'such'amanner that the said springs are caused to pass said axes e during themovement of the shutters d from va closed to an open position. By thisarrangement the distance between the ends of the springs is shorter ineither of the extreme positions of said shutters than in theintermediate position thereof, said springs therefore having a tendencyto maintain the shutters in a closed position when closed and in an openposition when open. Each of the rods g is pivotally connected at one endto the lower or free ex-r tremity of the lever d -and at the other endto the indicating devices located at the head of the table.

The form of indicating device which I consider most desirable isillustrated in Figs. 2 and 4t and consists ot' a knee or bell-crank IOOlever 72 pivotally mounted upon the block 1'., secured beneath the bedAof the table. The lower extremity of said lever h is pivotallyconnected to the rod g, while the forward eX- tremity of said lever ispivotally connected to the indicator j in such al manner that theturning of said lever consequent upon the backward and forward movementof the rod g causes a raising and lowering of said indicator.

At the head of the table is located a series of slots or apertures j',which receive the indicators j and guide the same in their verticalmovement. The said indicators bear upon their faces numberscorresponding to the value of the aperture wherewith the respectiveindicators are in connection,and the parts are so proportioned that whena shutter CZ is in a closed position the corresponding indicator will bebelow the bed of the table, and thereby concealed from view; but whensaid shutter is in an open position the said indicator will be raisedabove the bed of the table and the number upon said indicator exposed toview. It is desirable for protection to the indicators and for impartinga finished appearance to the table to provide a housing ic above saidindicators, said housing being furnished with a glass front 7c', asshown.

A resetting-bar m is hinged to the under v side of the bed A of thetable above the rods g and extends in a direction transverse t0 saidrods in such a manner as to engage the lugs n thereon. A springe isattached to said bar and tends to swing the same toward the head end ofthe table. A trigger p is mounted in suitable guides at the foot orplayers end of the table and is connected to said bar m by means of awirep or similar device. The parts are so related that the movement ofthe bar 'm from its normal position results in the retraction of such ofthe bars g as have been thrown toward the head of the table by thedropping of the shutters.- Such retraction of the rods causes theclosing of the shutters. As soon as the trigger p is released the springdraws said bar m back into normal position, where the latter will notinterfere with the operation of the indicaters.

Beneath the table is a trough q for receiving the balls as they dropthrough the apertures b. Said trough is inclined in such a directionthat the balls tend to collect at the foot of the table, where they maybe conveniently reached by the players.

A line r, drawn across the table near the foot thereof, may serve toindicate the portion of the table from which the Ycue-ball is to beplayed.

In the operation of the table in playing the game the cue-ball is placedin the assigned position and propelled, preferably, by means of a cue.When, consequent upon play, a ball falls into any one of the aperturesb, the shutter CZ, located thereunder, is forced downward bythe weightof said ball. The dropping of the shutter permits the ball to fall intothe trough q and be carried to the lower extremity thereof forsubsequent use. The dropping motion of the shutter,acting through themedium of the lever d', rod g, and lever 7i, causes the indicator j torise and expose to view the number thereon, thus showing the amount tobe scored by the player. After one or more of the shutters have fallenand it i's desired to reset the same the trigger p is pulled against theforce of the spring o and caused to engage and reset such of the rods gas have become projected during the play. The trigger pis then releasedand the bar m permitted to return toits normal position out of contactwith said rods.

In the alternative form of indicating device shown in Figs. 5, 6, 8, and9 the indicators fr' are rotary instead of reciprocatory and consist ofprismatic blocks mounted upon the cylindric stems s. Said stems havebearings in the bed of the table, so as to rotate upon a vertical axis,and beneath the bed A of the table are connected to the rods g by meansof the levers t. Y Said levers are rigidly se cured to said stems s andpivotally connected to the rods g, so that the reciprocation of saidrods causes the rotation of said indicators, as illustrated in Fig. 9.One of the faces of each indicator fr' bears a number for indicating thevalue of the corresponding aperture b, while the other faces thereof areblank. The parts are so arranged that when a shut ter d is against thebottom of the table and the aperture b closed a blank face of thecorresponding indicator is exposed; but when said shutter is down thenumbered face of said indicator is rotated into view, The resettingmechanism, consisting of the bar m, lugs n, and related parts, isidentical in construction and operation with both the forms ofindicators described.

Although I have referred to the indicators as bearing numbers, it iswithin my conception to use other characters or symbols. For example, Imay assign to the apertures b the symbols in use upon the ordinaryplaying cards, employing the same symbols, respec-v tively, upon thecorresponding indicators, thereby making it possible to play by means ofballs games analogous to card gaines.

The number and arrangement of apertures b may be variedwithout departingfrom my invention.

What I claim as new7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isd

l. In a game-table having apertures in the bed thereof, the combinationof shutters be-Y neath said apertures, knees or bell-crank leverspivotally supporting said shutters, con-v nections between said knees orlevers and said indicators; and springs attached to said knees or leversand also to a fixed portion of the table on opposite sides of the pivotsof said knees or levers, said springs traversing the axes of said pivotsduring the movement of said shutters from a closed to an open po- IOOrio

fessee sition, said springs thereby tending to retain said shutters in aclosed position When closed, and in an open position when open.

2. In a game-table, having apertures in the bed thereof, the combinationof shutters hinged beneath said table adjacent to said apertures, rods'pivotally connected to said shutters, indicators, levers connected tosaid indicators for operating the same, aresettingbar, lugs on said rodsfor engagement by re- .setting said bar, a spring operative upon saidresetting-bar, a wire connected to said resetting-bar, means foroperating said Wire and a trough beneath said table, substantially asdescribed.

